Utility companies typically measure consumption using meters and bill their customers accordingly. Traditionally, at the end of a reporting period, a utility employee had physically read and recorded each customer's meter readout dials that reflected usage. The recorded data was eventually re-entered into an accounting system for billing purposes. The process was labor intensive and duplicative. Moreover, unplanned nuisances such as dogs, inclement weather or a customer not being home (for inside meter sets) disrupted the meter reading process.
In recent years, attempts have been made to develop automated meter reading systems that automatically capture consumption data from the field by the way of radio frequency (RF) communication. Although existing meters may be replaced with new meters that provide an automatic meter reading capability, such a replacement is uneconomical due to the large number of meters that need to be updated. Thus, adapter modules have been developed which allow existing meters to be retrofitted for providing the automated data collection capability until the older meters have been completely phased out. The use of adapter modules also enables meter manufacturers to continue their production of standard meters while providing the optional capability of automated meter reading.
Equipment currently available for purposes of automatic meter reading can be quite costly to manufacture due in part to up-front tooling costs for molded plastic and stamped parts. An automatic meter reading adapter module using molded components for the housing is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,100,816. This adapter comprises a package that includes gears and shafts that engage the drive of the meter. A sensor detects shaft rotation and an electronics package is used for interpreting the sensor output. Communication of meter parameters is then transmitted via RF to a remote location. Some disadvantages of the described adapter lie in the initial tooling costs for the plastic parts that make up the adapter module and the positioning of the adapter module.
In certain prior art systems, the automatic meter reading modules are positioned external to the existing meter or require additional casings. That is, the module either mounts to the external meter casing or mounts directly to the gears and shafts of the existing meter but requires additional casings and parts to expand the meter housing to accommodate the module as well as other components, such as antennas, located externally.
The additional tooling and parts substantially increase total installation cost to a utility, due to the large number of conventional meters still in service. Further, the installation of conventional automatic modules expands the meter housing. In some environments, the position of the meter will not accommodate an expanded housing, therefore, requiring replacement of the entire meter. Further, conventional meters have tamper resistant seals. Any attempt to alter the meter is made evident by the tamper resistant seals. Externally mounting the automatic meter module or expanding the casing for installing the automatic meter module leaves the meter and module in a vulnerable state whereby metered gas usage may be altered. That is, the conventional automatic meter module lessens the effectiveness of the tamper-resistant design. As a result, there is a need for an automatic meter module capable of easily retrofitting conventional meters at low cost, without requiring additional tooling, and maintaining the tamper-resistivity of the conventional meter.